The upper tray held finely sifted wood ash, tamped flat and smooth, over which the wooden grid template was placed. A furrow was cut into the ash in the shape of the grid lines and then filled with powdered incense which burned at a uniform rate. Once the incense was placed into the continuous track, the grid was removed and the incense ignited. The latticework cover was then put in place to prevent a breeze from accelerating the rate of combustion of the burning incense. The incense would burn continuously for hours as the lighted edge made its way around the grid design.

Continual offerings of incense using a jokoban were often found in Japanese Buddhist temples during religious rites. Because long periods of time could be measured by the amount of incense burned, this type of Japanese incense clock was also used in community life as well as in the temples. Examples of old kobandokei show burn scars, overall evidence of handling and the presence of ash or powdered incense. Relatively few examples of antique incense clocks have survived. This is a rare item for Buddhist temples or serious Buddhist practitioners.

The kesa – a simple, rectangular toga-like garment that is the most typical and significant part of a Buddhist priest’s dress -- has essentially remained unchanged since its beginnings in the early centuries of Japanese Buddhism dating from the sixth century. Kesa were classified into general categories according to the number of columns that were created by placing vertical dividing strips of cloth extending from the upper to the lower borders. Each column was internally divided by one or more horizontal strips depending on the total number of columns in the kesa, thus creating a patchwork effect. A border and four decorative corner pieces complete the robe, which was worn over the left shoulder and wrapped around the body. The open front of the robe is held close to the body by the monk’s thumb, which is placed into a loop in the inside of the robe. The seven-column kesa is the one most widely worn by members of all sects for formal ceremonies, including worship of the deity, reading of sutras, and attendance at lectures on texts.

In Japan, it was believed that the donation of robes to the clergy was a meritorious act, and from an early date, monks there favored robes made of the most sumptuous brocades. The patchwork construction was maintained as a reminder of its humbler origins, when kesa were made from discarded pieces of old cloth. The kesa itself can be considered as a mandala, a Sanskrit term for a symbolic rendering of the universe. The four corner squares represent the four cardinal directions, the center column symbolizes the Buddha, and the two flanking squares are his attendants. (See the chapter on kesa in JAPANESE COSTUME: HISTORY AND TRADITION by Alan Kennedy.) While kesa are unfamiliar to many outside of the Buddhist community, they are in the collections of many museums outside of Japan. Five U.S. museums have holdings of 100 kesa or more (MFA Boston, RISD, Metropolitan Museum, Yale University and the Nelson-Atkins Museum).

Along with Kannon Bodhistattva (Godess of Mercy), Jizo is perhaps the most popular deity of the common people. He incorporates attributes from both Buddhist traditions and from earlier Shinto beliefs and Shinto kami (deities). He is guardian to children and travelers and pregnant women. Most Jizo statues hold a jewel in the left hand and a staff in the right hand, forming the standard iconography of this deity. Jizo is also often portrayed in the "one foot slightly forward" pose to indicate that Jizo is walking in the present world.

Originating from Sado Island, the gentle Jizo is one of the most popular and revered Buddhist deities in Japan. He is guardian to children, travelers, pregnant women and farmers. Images of Jizo are typically carved in granite or volcanic rock and placed at crossroads, where his presence is security for those traveling the roads, or on the grounds of a temple, where he will be asked to assist those in need. Because of their role in protecting travelers, stone images of Jizo were extremely prevalent at roadside shrines in the old days. Today, one still finds them clustered in open subsidiary shrines within the precincts of major Buddhist temples.

What makes this stone Jizo so unique is the fact that he is wearing a silk bib, which would have been placed on the statue by people who wanted Jizo to protect the soul of a loved one. Pilgrims and worshippers would tie bib-like cloth aprons around the necks of stone Jizo figures as an act of devotion, as in the group of one hundred Jizo images at Kiyomizudera in Kyoto. Since Jizo is the guardian of children, parents would often bring little garments, hats or bibs and dress the statue in hopes that Jizo would specially protect their child both in this world or in the afterlife. This long silk bib is beautifully decorated using the shibori dyeing technique and hand painted blossoms and bamboo, which were highlighted in very tiny gold embroidered threads.

The gentle Jizo is one of the most popular and revered Buddhist deities in Japan. He is guardian to children and travelers and pregnant women. All across Japan you will see him, generally weathered, his carved stone edges worn and rounded. Images of Jizo, the eternal guardian, are typically carved in granite or volcanic rock and placed at crossroads, where his presence is security for those traveling the roads, or on the grounds of a temple, where he will be asked to assist those in need. Because of their role in protecting travelers, stone images of Jizo were extremely prevalent at roadside shrines in the old days. Today, one still finds them clustered in open subsidiary shrines within the precincts of major Buddhist temples. This granite image of Jizo is a wonderful representation of the gentle and compassionate nature of this most beloved deity.

Generically called “kibana” (shrine or temple roof support finials), these wooden architectural ornaments were typically carved in the form of mythical beasts. (Kibana in this particular form were known as “zobana,” literally “an elephant's nose.") The Japanese artistic tradition includes a large number of imaginary creatures, including the Baku. Like so many mythical beings, the baku is a curious mingling of various animals. First chronicled in Shinto mythology, this creature is described as having a hairy head with a long proboscis like an elephant’s trunk, two tusks, four claws on each foot, a spiny backbone, a spotted hide, and the tail of an ox. Baku are considered to be a generally benevolent creatures which stalk the dreamscape, devouring the evil demons that cause nightmares. Superstitious people of Edo era Japan believed that bad dreams were caused by evil spirits. It was believed that if the Baku could be induced to eat a horrible dream, the creature had the power to change it into good fortune. When a person awakens from a nightmare, he should call out immediately to the Baku to eat his bad dreams. According to Shinto legend, the Baku will promptly consume the evil entity responsible for these nocturnal terrors and bestow good fortune upon whoever has called out to him.

As architectural elements, Baku were thought to protect the entrance to Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines and were placed under the roof of religious structures to ward off evil spirits. To insure the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s peaceful eternal rest, numerous sculptures of Baku are found at the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko, which houses his mausoleum. Wooden architectural ornaments, particularly those in the form of a baku heads, are quite rare and seldom seen on the market today. This is an excellent pair, with great personality, style and significant age.

Generically called “kibana” (shrine or temple roof support finials), these large wooden architectural ornaments were typically carved in the form of mythical beasts. The Japanese artistic tradition includes a large number of imaginary creatures. The Baku, like so many mythical beings, is a curious mingling of various animals. First chronicled in Shinto mythology, this creature is described as having a hairy head with a long proboscis like an elephant’s trunk, two tusks, four claws on each foot, a spiny backbone, a spotted hide, and the tail of an ox. Baku are considered to be a generally benevolent creatures which stalk the dreamscape, devouring the evil demons that cause nightmares. Superstitious people of Edo era Japan believed that bad dreams were caused by evil spirits. It was believed that if the Baku could be induced to eat a horrible dream, the creature had the power to change it into good fortune. When a person awakens from a nightmare, he should call out immediately to the Baku to eat his bad dreams. According to Shinto legend, the Baku will promptly consume the evil entity responsible for these nocturnal terrors and bestow good fortune upon whoever has called out to him. As architectural elements, Baku were thought to protect the entrance to Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines and were placed under the roof of religious structures to ward off evil spirits. To insure the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s peaceful eternal rest, numerous sculptures of Baku are found at the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko, which houses his mausoleum. Architectural temple elements, particularly those in the form of a baku, are quite rare and seldom seen on the market today.

The Japanese artistic tradition includes a large number of imaginary creatures. The Baku, like so many mythical beings, is a curious mingling of various animals. First chronicled in Shinto mythology, this creature is described as having a hairy head with a long proboscis like an elephant’s trunk, two tusks, four claws on each foot, a spiny backbone, a spotted hide, and the tail of an ox. Baku are considered to be a generally benevolent creatures which stalk the dreamscape, devouring the evil demons that cause nightmares. Superstitious people of Edo era Japan believed that bad dreams were caused by evil spirits. It was believed that if the Baku could be induced to eat a horrible dream, the creature had the power to change it into good fortune. When a person awakens from a nightmare, he should call out immediately to the Baku to eat his bad dreams. According to Shinto legend, the Baku will promptly consume the evil entity responsible for these nocturnal terrors and bestow good fortune upon whoever has called out to him. As architectural elements, Baku were thought to protect the entrance to Buddhist temples and were placed under the roof of religious structures to ward off evil spirits. To insure the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s peaceful eternal rest, numerous sculptures of Baku are found at the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko, which houses his mausoleum. This pair of Baku kibana originated from Kumamoto prefecture in Japan, once known as a powerful shogunate. Architectural temple elements, particularly those in the form of a baku and in pairs, are quite rare, and they are seldom seen on the market today. (A comparable pair of mounted Baku kibana, lot #290, sold at Sotheby’s in New York on March 24, 1999, for $11,500.)